Kharif Planting Acreage Going Satisfactory Amid Satisfactory Monsoons

Monsoon performance has been quite satisfactory till now. The actual rainfall received in the country for the week ending July 16^th is reported at 338.3 mm against normal of 308.4 mm.  There has been an increase in 10% during the period from 01.06.2020 to 16.07.2020. As on 16.07.2020 as per report of CWC, the live water storage available in 123 reservoirs in the country is 150 % of live storage of corresponding period of last year and 133% of storage of average of last ten years. This implies no water scarcity in the country. The total Kharif sowing area as on 17.07.2020 has increased to 691.86 Lakh ha area – nearly 120 Lakh hectares more versus previous year corresponding period. The area for the same period last year was 570.86 Lakh ha area, thus increase in area coverage by 21.20% year on year.  

Given below is the sowing area coverage under Kharif crops and till now farmers have grown 

• Rice on 168.47 lakh ha against 142.06 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 18.59%,
• Pulses on 81.66 lakh ha against 61.70 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 32.35%,
• Coverage of Coarse Cereals reported on 115.60 lakh ha area against 103.00 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 12.23%,
• Oilseeds 154.95 lakh ha area against 110.09 lakh ha area last year i.e. area coverage increased by 40.75 %,
• Sugarcane on 51.29 lakh ha area against 50.82 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 0.92%
• Under Cotton, area coverage reported on 113.01 lakh ha area against 96.35 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 17.28 % and
• In case of Jute & Mesta, on 6.88 lakh ha area against 6.84 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 0.70% reported in the country.

 Credit is to be given for the government that despite COVID-19 lockdown, sowing activities for the Kharif season has not been adversely impacted. With the early arrival of Southwest monsoon across many states, farmers in many parts of the country commenced Kharif cultivation early this year. This will be the second straight year for India to experience above average monsoon rainfall if the weather forecast reports turn out to be true. IMD’s June 1st report highlighted that Rainfall over the country as a whole for the 2020 southwest monsoon season (June to September) is most likely to be NORMAL (96% to 104% of long period average (LPA)). India defines average, or normal, rainfall as between 96 per cent and 104 per cent of a 50-year average or Long Period Average of 89 centimeters for the entire four-month season. Last year, monsoon hit the Kerala coast on June 8, after a week's delay. The June 1 probability forecasts given by the IMD suggest a very low probability (only 5%) for monsoon rainfall to be deficient this year. On the other hand, it suggests a very high probability for monsoon rainfall to be normal (41%).